Better Pork - August 2016

9 / 40

Nedap Electronic Sow Feeding
The Benefits:
• Sows in top condition, more piglets
• Less feed wastage
• It's simple to apply feed strategies
• Notification when animals don't eat
• Substantial noise reduction,
calm and relaxed sows
• Automatic detection,
marking and separation
of sows based on heat
ARIS-AD-HP-better pork-July 2016-NEDAP.qxp_Layout 1 2016-07-07 3:12 PM Page 1
MAINFEATURE
l i i
The Benefits:
i i i , i l
I ' i l l i
i i i i l '
i l i i ,
l l
i i ,
i i
I - - -better pork-July 2016-NED P.qxp_Layout 1 2016-07-07 3:12 PM Page 1
September seminar addresses group housing challenges and opportunities
by JIM ALGIE
A September seminar planned for
Stratford should help hog farmers
sort “the challenges and opportu-
nities” of group housing for gestat-
ing sows, Ontario Swine Specialist
Laura Eastwood says.
Sessions planned for Arden
Park hotel include evening speak-
ers beginning at 4 p.m. on Sept.
6 who will address issues for
those already working with sow
groups as prescribed by the Code
of Practice for the Care and Han-
dling of Pigs. A full day beginning
at 9 a.m. on Sept. 7 deals with
questions from producers consid-
ering the move.
“We’ve started to hear a lot
more interest … whether they
should build new facilities or
renovate an old facility,” she said.
Featured speakers on Sept. 6
include National Sow Housing
Conversion Project coordinator Dr.
Jennifer Brown of the University
of Saskatchewan on aggression in
group housing. As well, University
of Guelph graduate student Quin-
cy Buis will discuss recent experi-
ments with precision feeding of
sows using electronic systems.
Day two features veterinarian
Julie Ménard of the Quebec-based
swine production, processing
and marketing firm, F. Ménard
Inc. discussing her company’s
sow barn conversions and related
technology.
Producer panels are planned
each day.
“Should I renovate that build-
ing or do I need to start from
scratch and build something
new?” Eastwood said, outlining
the producers’ dilemma. “Also,
what do we do with the sows dur-
ing renovation?”
“For the most part, the industry
is moving,” Eastwood said. “Most
producers are looking at options,”
she said. BP
Seminar takes
place at Arden Park
hotel and runs from
Sept. 6 to 7.